NC voucher program stays frozen

The state school voucher plan remains frozen after the N.C. Appeals Court this week rejected requests to lift a lower court's injunction.

A Superior Court judge in February halted the new program that would have given parents up $4,200 in taxpayer money to help pay their children's private school tuition.

Two parents who want to use vouchers asked the Appeals Court to lift the legal freeze.

The N.C. School Boards Association and state residents, backed the the N.C. Justice Center and the N.C. Association of Educators, are suing to stop vouchers. Among their claims is the program violates the state constitution.

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The legislature set aside $10 million for the program, enough to give about 2,400 students who leave public school "opportunity scholarships."

The state had received more than 4,700 applications by the time the program was frozen.

Darrell Allison, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, a program supporter, said in a statement this week that he was disappointed that the injection wasn't lifted but hopeful that the state Supreme Court would consider the parents’ appeal.

The legislature planned to have vouchers available in time for the fall semester.